Kirkwall, 9:31

Looking up from the note in his hand, Bodahn smiled at the approaching men. "Well timed, my friends."

Varric paused, taking the scrap of paper. "Please tell me it's not another investor pulling out?"

"Nothing like that, messere… your contact at the docks sent this."

Glancing at the message, Varric handed it to Aedan. "Seems The Wren has finally docked."

"I thought she told you not to call her that… if so, she'll probably find out and drop you on your head."

"I wasn't aware that was one of her tricks… let me guess, one night you asked about getting rough and she misunderstood?" he smirked in response.

Rolling his eyes, Aedan slipped the note into a pocket. "If I said no, would that stop you telling your version as the truth?"

"Truth is subjective, Junior…"

"Yeah, yeah… you should probably ease on the jokes, though. I'll bet she noticed your goon, and followed him up here." Sniffing the air, he slightly tilted his head to the right. "And I know that fragrance anywhere…" he trailed off while spinning about. Laughing, Leliana pounced into his embrace.

"Well, you were right", Varric muttered while they kissed. "So she probably heard you say she's pungent enough to detect over the ocean smell…" he added before giving an exaggerated bow. "Milady."

"Varric…" she coolly replied. "Putting words in his mouth again?"

"More hygienic than what you just shoved in there" he shrugged.

Hovering nervously, Bodahn shot an apprehensive glance to Aedan. "Don't worry, Bodahn. It's just storyteller rivalry."

"Something like that" Varric nodded. "Plus, she always has to correct me."

"I do not" she quickly retorted.

"See? She just did it again!" he joked, throwing his arms up in exaggeration.

Groaning, Aedan shook his head. "I'll grab my pack, and show you the Manor where we're staying. Mind if we finish up business tomorrow, Varric?"

"No problem… leave your notes, I'll try to finish them tonight." Once Aedan entered the building, Varric frowned. "Odd… he said none of the Estates were available, so he's been sleeping at the inn."

Letting out a sigh, Leliana glanced at the door. "Nightmares again, perhaps… Fergus said he had trouble at the Denerim estate, sleeping by himself in a strange place. Kept waking up the servants, or so they said..."

"No wonder he picked the Hanged Man, then… doesn't look it, but with all the work Corff's had done, it's probably the safest building in the city. Especially since the Guilds all agreed it was neutral ground…"

"Wouldn't be a proper city, without a place like that" she nodded. "Thank you for watching out for him…"

"Hey, it's the least I could do" he offered, as Aedan returned. "If you have time, pop by…" Hearing Bartrand cursing as he strode across the courtyard, Varric frowned. "Or not – I better deal with whatever that is. Problems, brother?"

"More scum, looking to suck our blood. Dougal's been sniffing about, and now Meeran has his dogs begging me for work!" Glaring, he pointed at Aedan. "You better not try to pull out your funding, boy… I'll need that money to pay off the Guard-Captain. Bastard's threatening to impound all our supplies, unless I expedite the imaginary permits to carry pick-axes inside the city."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"You see, brother? Nothing to worry about – you can call it quits for the day."

"Right… if any more idiots come around, you deal with them." Muttering, Bartrand continued on his way.

"And that's my dear brother, Bartrand" Varric quipped, noticing Leliana's expression.

"He's certainly…" she paused for a moment, "… certain."

"In his own way. I may have gotten the looks, brains, hair, charm and looks, but he got… determination."

"You said 'looks' twice."

Rolling his eyes, Aedan mouthed along with Varric's response. "A face like mine deserves repeating."

"He also repeats the same joke every time" the Human added. "Isn't Meeran the local sellsword captain? Your schemey face started when his name came up."

"Yeah… he's the one that our Lothering friend is stuck working for. Might be able to get him on-board, after all."

"Lothering friend?" Leliana asked.

"The other Hawke" Varric answered. "Word is, he was hired out to the Viscount of Kaiten when they had all that chaos a few months back. That means he's fought Darkspawn before, which is more than can be said for the discount thugs Bartrand's been hiring… you two go have fun, I'm going to catch up with this Iron representative."

"Will do", Aedan said as he glanced about. "Just the one satchel, and this box, Lee?"

"I left the heavy things on the ship" she shrugged, handing the heavier bag over to him. "I'll just visit the market if we stay longer, no? It seemed much more practical than carting everything up here."

"Practical, and convenient… I would have taken you anyway – it's not a proper stay in Kirkwall without visiting the market."

"But now we have a reason, silly… ooh! We can get something tailored for you."

"Nothing in burgundy" he weakly insisted while she nestled the box under an arm, "Bodahn, do you know where-"

"I believe they're down in the market square, messere" the Dwarf answered, offering an apologetic look as Aedan was dragged away by the hand.

"Relax, Lee – they're probably all closing up for the day… right turn."

Stopping at the stairs, she looked down in disappointment. "Oh, most of them are gone…"

Leaning in, he kissed her cheek. "Tomorrow, I promise… uh-" Quickly moving to her other side, Aedan offered a polite nod as someone approached. "Good afternoon, Knight-Commander."

Giving a quick glance of scrutiny, a blonde woman in heavy armour passed them by, not breaking stride. "Still here, I see… Bran has absolutely no sense of priority in his schedule" she commented, seemingly to herself, as her retinue continued on their way to Lowtown.

"So… that's the famous Meredith?"

"The one and only" Aedan replied. "I'd have introduced you, but I guess she's busy… no idea where she's going, the quickest way to the docks and Gallows is back that way."

"Probably just doing a lap of the city so everyone can see her magnifique armour… who's Bran?"

"The Seneschal… I've been trying to slot in a meeting with the Viscount, so I can finish up my mission. I keep getting a blank stare, and 'I'm definitely trying to get you in as soon as possible… you filthy dog-lord' platitudes from the man. I felt more welcome when I spoke with the Arishok, and I must have had twenty spears pointed at me the whole time."

"Twenty?" she asked in horror.

"I know, I expected more as well… the Qunari just like me, I guess."

"… That is not what I meant!" she stammered, as he descended into the Square.

"They wouldn't have let me enter, if there was any problem" he shrugged, looking back as she joined him. "Besides, I had my letter of introduction from Sten… and my trusty protector."

Barking his agreement, Emfer bounced around Leliana in greeting. "Hello… boy." Tilting his head in confusion at her words, the Mabari then returned to his earlier playmate.

"Hello!" a familiar voice called out.

"Hello to you too, Sandal" she smiled back, before joining Aedan at the nearby produce stall.

"You must be the 'pretty lady' my son talks about, then…" the attending Dwarven woman declared, looking up at her.

"I must…?"

"Oh, sorry" Aedan said. "Lee, this is Pera; Bodahn's wife. Pera, this is Leliana."

"Pleased to meet you, finally… can I interest either of you in some apples, before I close up?"

"We'll take that basket" Leliana pointed. "Thank you."

"Thank you, my dear; it's one less I have to carry back to the store-room. Let's say 30 Silver?"

"There you are" Aedan handed over 40 pieces. "I'll just get Emfer, and we'll go."

Pera dropped the coins into her apron pocket, before staring around the empty square. "Even if they were open, I don't think anyone here sells 'emfer', son… whatever that is."

Aedan began walking over to his hound, as it followed Sandal in a race around the square. "My dog, Emfer..." Closing her eyes, Leliana groaned in anticipation. "… Emfer Mabari."

"The man I'm going to marry…" she whispered to Pera.

"Better than a boring dimwit" the Dwarf replied with a grin. "Took me a moment to understand that… I think he'll keep you on your toes, dear."

Seeing Leliana try to balance the basket on top of the box she had been carrying, Aedan whistled and gave Emfer a nod in her direction. Trotting over, he carefully placed his jaws around the handle and lifted the basket with a proud gleam in his eyes. Before she could push the box's jostled lid shut, it fell off as a large Nug poked its head out and looked around with an anxious squeak. "Oh, it's you" Aedan muttered as it stared back at him.

"Be nice to Schmooples" Leliana chastised him teasingly. "He just needs some rest."

"I'll bring the basket back before we leave… if those two can refrain from chewing it to pieces" Aedan said to Pera.

"Schmooples?" she asked in response. "A pet Nug… named Schmooples?"

"The woman I'm going to marry…" he unknowingly echoed under his breath, before lifting up the discarded lid.

Watching their odd group leave up the stairs, Pera shook her head in disbelief. Turning to her son as he waved goodbye, she paused in thought. "I'm not sure what to call it, but they've got something that'll last…"

"Enchantment?!"

Laughing, she nodded. "I suppose that fits, Sandal."


A/N - Sorry about the 'nothing' chapter but it was getting too long already, so Sebastian and Isabela will have a short (shorter than this one) wait until the next chapter. I'm not sure on the canonical where-abouts (much less her name) of Bodahn's off-screen wife during DA2, but it's my AU so I say she was in Kirkwall. She was just behind a pillar, or drinking tea with Maris, whenever your Hawke walked past.

And no, I'm not even sorry about the Mabari's name.